EP0191203A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cutting tool structures, apparatus and method for making same
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1985-01-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-01-16
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method are provided for fabricating cutting tools and tool cutting edges and for improving the structures of cutting tools, particularly the cutting edge portions thereof. In one form, the method involves subjecting the edge EI or edges of a cutting tool 10 such as a blade or other form of cutting tool, to the intense heat of a radiation beam such as an intense light beam generated by a laser or an electron beam generated by an electron gun. The intense heat serves one or more of a number of functions including the vaporizing, eroding or melting of a portion of the material of the surface stratum of a blade or cutting tool adjacent the cutting edge portion thereof and in certain instances including that material which defines the cutting edge. The liquified thin layer of material which is formed and remains adjacent the cutting edge of the tool, tools rapidly as the beam passes, forming a non-crystalline layer of the metal or alloy from which it is melted, which layer is harder and more corrosion resistant than the original alloy thereby providing an improvement in the cutting edge and material adjacent thereto which is subject to attrition during the cutting operation. The substrate of which the hard surface stratum is formed may comprise the base of the cutting tool or a coating thereon wherein such base or coating may be made of alloys of such metals as nickel, cobalt, chromium, tungsten, titanium, silicon, zirconium, and other hard metals. If the cutting tool is a preshaped object, computer controlled means is employed to predeterminately position the tool and beam generating means and to operate the beam to effect a predetermined blade hardening operation. If the cutting tool is in the form of a blade it may be continuously fed past the radiation beam generator which op-(Continuation next page)
Inventors
- 👤 Jerome Hal Lemelson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 10:50
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K15/00; B23K15/08; B23K26/00; B23K26/36; B23K26/361; B23Q; B23Q17/00; B23Q17/09; C; C21; C21D; C21D9/00; C21D9/22; C23; C23C; C23C30/00; C23C30/005; B23K7/00; B23K7/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
l. An apparatus for forming a cutting edge on material comprising in combination: a support, means for supporting an article on said support which article contains a surface portion defined by a plurality of surfaces which converge toward each other and which join each other along a region capable of being sharpened to define an edge, means for generating intense radiation and directing said radiation toward said region of said article joining said surface wherein said intense radiation serves to erode material from the surface of the article, and means for effecting relative scanning movement between said intense radiation and said article in a manner to erode material along said region whereby a sharpening effect is attained and a cutting edge is provided therealong.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said means for generating intense radiation comprises a radiation beam generating means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 2 including means for causing the beam of said radiation beam generating means to scan said region and erode material therefrom in a manner to sharpen or effect a cutting edge therealong.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said radiation beam generating means comprises an electron gun.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein said radiation beam generating means comprises a laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 wherein said intense radiation generating means is operable to simultaneously generate a plurality of radiation beams and to direct said beams at respective angles to respective of said surfaces so as to respectively erode material adjacent each of said surfaces and to form or sharpen a cutting edge along said region.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
76 words
An apparatus in accordance with any preceeding Claim including sensing means for sensing the shape of the material remaining along said region as it is removed therefrom by the erosion of said beam, said sensing means being operable to generate a feedback signal which varies in accordance with variations in the shape of said region and means for utilizing said feedback signal to control the operation of said beam in eroding the material of said region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 including means for predeterminately moving said support so as to cause said intense radiation to scan said region of said article and to sharpen or generate a sharpened edge along a length of said region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
77 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 8 including means for generating a plurality of radiation beams and directing said beams along paths which fall in planes which are angulated with respect to each other at an angle which is such as to cause the beams to erode material from said region in a manner to define an edge therealong which edge is defined by surface portions of a desired configuration and angulation with respect to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 including means for generating said radiation in a manner to sharpen or provide cutting edge portions of said article at spaced apart locations of said region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 10 wherein said intense radiation is operable to sharpen the end portions of a saw blade.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 1 in which said radiation generating means comprises means for generating an intense beam of radiation and said article comprises a cutting tool, said support comprising an operative mount for said cutting tool.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 12 wherein said means for generating intense radiation and said means for effecting relative scanning movement between said intense radiation and said tool are operable in a manner to sharpen a dulled cutting edge of said cutting tool.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 3 wherein said beam scanning means is operable to cause said beam to effect an oscillating scanning movement between said beam and said article to incrementally erode material therefrom to provide said sharpening effect.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
138 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 2 including means for energizing and de-energizing said radiation beam generating means while effecting controlled relative movement between the axis of said radiation beam and said article in a manner to cause the axis of said beam to be moved in a path from travel beyond said edge of said article whereby said beam intersects a select portion of said edge of said article, means for detecting when the axis of said radiation beam intersects said edge of said article in such travel and generating a control signal, and means for applying said control signal to control said radiation generating means to generate said beam in a manner to controllably remove material from the edge portion of said article and to form a cutting edge along a select portion of said article.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus in accordance with Claim 2 wherein the controlled scanning movement of said beam is operable to form closely spaced parallel cutting edges along a select portion of said region of said article.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
97 words
A method of forming a cutting edge along a portion of a cutting tool comprising the steps of providing a thin portion of a cutting tool with side walls thereof defining a first edge, generating an intense radiation beam and directing said radiation beam against said edge of said first portion of said tool to cause said beam to predeterminately vaporize material from the vicinity of said edge portion so as to increase the sharpness of the edge portion and to form a cutting edge thereof having improved cutting characteristics over that of the original edge portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method in accordance with Claim 17 which includes directing at least two intense radiation beams at an acute angle to each other along paths which intersect beyond the original edge portion of the tool and at respective intensities which are sufficient to vaporize material from the opposite faces of the tool which forms said original edge portion so as to taper the material of the tool adjacent the original edge portion to form a new edge portion thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
114 words
A method in accordance with Claim 17 wherein the material adjacent the original edge portion of said cutting tool is a metal compound and the intense radiation beam is operable to render a portion of the surface stratum thereof adjacent the original edge portion of the tool in a liquid condition, said method including predeterminately relatively moving said beam and tool in a manner to permit the liquified surface stratum to cool as the beam passes rapidly enough to form a non-crystalline glass like alloy on the surface of said tool adjacent said cutting edge portion which non-crystalline material is substantially harder and more corrosion resistant than the material from which it is formed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method in accordance with Claim 17 which includes the preliminary step of coating said cutting tool adjacent the cutting edge portion thereof with an alloy of such metals as nickel, cobalt, tungsten, titanium, silicon, molybdenum, chromium and zirconium prior to subjecting same to said action of said intense radiation beam and operating on said coating with said beam to form a non-crystalline structure on the surface of said coating adjacent the cutting edge of said tool.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with Claim 17 wherein the cutting tool is originally formed as a continuous strip of metal, said method including predeterminately driving said strip at a predetermined rate past the means for generating said intense radiation beam.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method in accordance with Claim 21 which includes performing at least one postoperation such as grinding, honing or lapping the edge portion of said tool after it has been operated on by said intense radiation beam.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of improving the cutting edge of a cutting tool comprising: (a) forming a cutting edge along a select portion of a cutting tool made of crystalline metal, and (b) converting a portion of the metal adjacent to and defining said cutting edge portion of said tool to a non-crystalline amorphous metal structure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method in accordance with Claim 23 wherein the steps of forming said cutting edge to a non-crystalline metal structure are effected substantially simultaneously.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method in accordance with Claim 23 wherein the steps of forming said cutting edge and converting said portion of metal adjacent said cutting edge to a non-crystalline metal are affected sequentially.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method in accordance with Claim 23 wherein the steps of forming said cutting edge and converting said portion of metal adjacent said cutting edge are effected by scanning with said radiation generated from a single source.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method in accordance with Claim 23 including controllably depositing material adjacent said cutting edge to form a non-crystalline alloy of the material defining the cutting edge.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of sharpening a cutting tool comprising: (a) detecting dullness of a cutting tool as it operates, and (b) generating a detection signal, (c) employing said detection signal to initiate a sharpening operation by automatically controlling the operation of a radiation beam generating means and relative scanning movement between said beam generating means and said tool to effect control scanning an erosion of material of said tool adjacent the cutting edge thereof.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with Claim 28 wherein said dullness is effected by detecting one or more variables occurring during cutting with said tool including tool vibration, cutting resistance, temperature generated by friction during cutting, surface smoothness and cutting noise.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
89 words
A method df shaping a solid material comprising: (a) generating intense radiation capable of melting matter, (b) selectively directing said radiation against an article, (c) effecting controlled scanning movement between said radiation and said article to cause the melting of a select portion of the material of said article, and (d) directing a stream of high velocity fluid and causing said fluid to effect controlled flow of the melted material of said article across the surface of said article so as to predeterminately change the shape of said article.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method in accordance with Claim 30 including causing a select portion of the material of said article to vaporize and to be removed from the surface of said article so as to affect a select change in the shape of said article.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
59 words
A cutting tool comprising: (a) a tool base, (b) a cutting edge portion of said tool base formed with a select rake angle, (c) the material adjacent said cutting edge of said tool base including the cutting edge portion thereof formed of a non-crystalline metal, (d) the remaining material of said tool base being formed of a crystalline metal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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